It was around 4.30 in the morning and I gave Patrick a wake up call. I was already suited up in my cycling shorts, and ready to leave but what Patrick said wasn't in the least bit encouraging. He said that his cycle has a problem and the plan might have to be cancelled, but since I was already dressed up and ready to leave, I didn't feel like dropping it all and going back to bed, so I went to his house anyway. The problem with the cycle was that the brakes on both tires were too tight and kept pulling on tire at few intervals of every rotation, and this happened especially when taking turns. So we figured out that the best thing to do would be to drop the Anekal plan and instead head to Skandagiri and get the cycle repaired at Decathlon on the way.
It was 7 by now and the intensity of traffic was already starting to increase. Gone are the days when Saturday used to have the emptiness of a Sunday in Bangalore. In fact, Sunday itself doesn't look like what it used to look like a couple of years ago. Patrick made a few more adjustments to the brake and it wasn't holding onto the tire anymore, so with that we started immediately. Since I was on a hybrid bike, I was faster, hence reached Hebbal flyover 15 minutes early and was admiring the serene Hebbal lake. It was a sight to behold; mist floating on the surface of the water; aquatic birds scooping down into the water to pick up fish; the intense cold wrapping itself around you the moment you stand next to the lake. It was rewarding to experience this after cycling nonstop from Hormavu junction till Hebbal. Patrick arrived in less than 15 minutes and we continued onward without a break. As usual, we noticed a couple of cyclists waiting for their buddies at Esteem mall signal. Esteem mall is a well known meeting point for cyclists, bikers, drivers, and literally everyone going to Nandi hills or Skandaigir. A little bit further, there was one lone cyclist who also looked like he was waiting for a friend or group to join him. After chatting him up, we got to know that it was four of them, and they were just doing a half day ride to the airport and back.
He had been waiting there for quite a while already and decided to join us instead of standing in the same place. We invited him to join us till Skandagiri, and he obliged conditionally, as he would join his group for the airport ride if he bumped into them on the way. With that, we started for Decathlon. I was still at an advantage since Harsha also had a Scott MTB, so I took it nice and easy. Harsha and I chatted all along the ride about cycling, trekking and everything in between. He was a runner, indulged in trekking once in a while, and had just entered the cycling scene with his brand new Scott. Just a few Km's before GKVK signal, we bumped into Kannan, who does a marathon every Saturday on the roads inside and outside of Bangalore to raise awareness on Traffic rules and first aid. I had accompanied him on one of these awareness runs a few weekends back, albeit in a cycle, so I was elated to see him again here.
 |
| Kannan on the left, with placard and flag |
We chatted for a good 15 minutes and then bid him goodbye . They were just at the beginning of their run and so didn't have much time to talk as well. It was well over 10 by now and the sunlight was just starting to filter through the clouds. It was refreshing to feel the sun on our faces after riding through chill winds since morning. Since Patrick was much ahead of us, we knew he would have reached Decathlon by now, so Harsha and I picked up the pace, so that we could reach him quickly without having to make him wait for us. However, on reaching Decathlon we had to wait for another one hour for the technicians to finish working on his cycle. Once it was done, we started off immediately for Nandi cross, after deciding to have brunch on the way. It was 11 when we left Decathlon. Within 15 minutes we reached a new restaurant a few km's after the airport ramp. We took a much needed break here along with filling up our tummies. The food was good and so was the view from the place; planes taking off and landing every now and then
 |
| Patrick at the Y junction. Nope, he is the guy on the left perfectly camouflaged by the tree ;-) |
After breakfast, we started for the hillock immediately and decided that the next stop would only be for lunch. We took a couple of pics on the way, and finally reached the Y junction that separates Nandi hills and Skandagiri. Take left for Nandi hills, or right for Skandagiri. We rested here for a couple of minutes during which I refilled my hydration bag. Harsha took some time to reach us as the stretch between the turn at the highway and this point was pretty windy with headwinds pushing us in the opposite direction. He got to us within 15 minutes and we started off for the hill. Next stop was to be for lunch.
 |
| Scenery on the way |
 | ||
| empty roads - every cyclists dream |
We reached a not-so-busy junction in the next 45 minutes or so, after traversing through verdant grasslands with plenty of intact greenery all around, along with human housing plots coming up for sale. There was a small pond also at one point.
 |
| A Rain-fed pond |
We reached the base of the hill at around 2 pm, but were in for a shock when the forest officer there didn't let us climb the hill. He said that many incidents have happened there over the past few months and so even day treks are banned henceforth. We decided to take a power nap for an hour under a huge tree just a few meters before the temple at the base, since we were not going to trek anyway, and it would be too early to cycle back to the city.
 |
After napping for almost an hour, we started back for the city. We decided to visit a fort which we had seen on the way. It was a windy and relaxed ride, even though we had the sun hitting right at us from the western side of the forest. We rested in the fort garden for some more time, as none of us was in a mood to get into the fort, after which we left from the place by around 4. After this it was non-stop cycling all the way till Decathlon, where we ate a sumptuous dinner of chapathi and alu mattar curry. We were all so famished that each of us ate almost 6-7 chapatis each. The food tasted great. For those of you returning from Skandagiri or Nandi hills, do try this place. Its at the corner just before the left turn for Decathlon. We then set off for Patricks house through a different route which was dark but still had plenty of traffic. It was still calm, as compared to the noisy airport road. We reached Patricks place without a break, bid goodbye, and went on to our respective homes. I managed to reach home only by around 8.30. I then remembered that I had left home at 5, so that makes it 15 hours of being outdoor. All in a days work!
